Package with integrated spreading and cutting functionality

ABSTRACT

A package for use in holding, dispensing, and spreading a viscous substance, such as a condiment. The package may include a thin-walled rigid planar member with at least one centrally-located opening, a flexible membrane forming a sealed reservoir on one surface and a flexible membrane forming a removable cover over the opening on the opposing surface. The reservoir membrane may be permanently sealed to the rigid planar member about a perimeter that surrounds the perforation. The cover, reservoir membrane and the rigid planar member form a sealed cavity with which to safely store and transport the contents, with the cover being removed for dispensing and spreading purposes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present application is generally related to thesingle-use/disposable packaging industry. More specifically, theapplication is directed to a single-use sealed condiment package thatprovides dispensing, spreading, and cutting functionality.

BACKGROUND

With busier schedules and less time spent at home, more food is consumedon-the-go. This shift in the way we eat has increased the popularity offast food, take-out, delivery, and street-fare options, all of whichmust provide not only the food, but also the packaging, cutlery, andother items needed to make eating fast and convenient. Even traditionalstore-bought foods, such as fruits and vegetables, are being packagedand marketed as single-serving, on-the-go items for children and workingprofessionals. As such, the disposable packaging industry hasexperienced substantial growth over the years, with multiple newpackaging designs and combination products—such as those presented inthe prior art—being developed to help facilitate this lifestyle-shift.

Single-use packaging for condiments and other convenience items,commonly referred to as sachets or packets, are flexible pouches thatare filled with small amounts of condiment and then hermetically orheat-sealed on both ends. Typically, the ends are serrated to provide ameans to grip and tear or open the package, at which point the user thensqueezes the pouch to expel the contents onto the food. This form ofpackaging provides a low-cost and relatively low-contamination method ofdistributing condiments and other items necessary for on-the-go meals.

Unfortunately, the current package design is focused on holding thecontents but does not account for ultimate intent or usability. Mostsachets are made from thin plastic, tin foil or mylar—flexible materialsthat enable portability and keep cost low but are poorly suited for theactual dispensing and spreading functions. Dispensing the contents isoften awkward, requiring both hands to force the contents out of thepouch and onto the food. Often the contents are spread unevenly,requiring the use of a separate knife or, as is often used, theunsanitary side of the sachet itself to facilitate spreading. This isespecially true with viscous substances such as mayonnaise, which tendto adhere to the package rather than flow evenly onto the food. Thisprocess often leads to unnecessary mess and a great deal of waste—unusedcondiment left in the package, extra napkins, and the extra utensilsrequired for spreading.

Therefore, a need exists for an improved sealed condiment package.Ideally, the improved package would hold a single-serving amount ofcondiment or other substance, would provide a simple, efficient methodof transferring condiment to the food, and would feature integratedspreading and cutting functionality in a single, low-cost design. Atleast some of these objectives will be met by various embodimentsdescribed below.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The present application describes a condiment package with integratedspreading and cutting functionality. In one aspect of the presentinvention, a condiment package may include a thin, rigid planar member,which may in one embodiment be triangular- or fan-shaped. This thin,blade-like structure may include at least one hole or perforation placedcentrally toward the larger, flared distal region of the shape. In someembodiments, a flexible membrane made from plastic or similar materialmay be permanently sealed to one side of the planar member, with theseal region forming a perimeter around the centrally-located hole. Thecavity formed from this membrane and one side of the planar memberserves as a reservoir for condiments or other materials. Anotherflexible membrane may be sealed over the hole on the opposing side ofthe planar member, providing a lid or cover which can be removed todispense and spread the contents. In one embodiment, this seal mayextend futher onto the leading or distal surface of the planar member.Once removed, the surface below the seal may provide a non-contaminatedregion with which to spread or distribute the contents onto food.

In another embodiment, the distal edge of the large or flared shape maybe serrated or beveled to provide a rigid cutting feature with which tocut or manipulate food. In another embodiment, the side of the planarmember opposite the flexible reservoir may feature a contoured surfaceto enhance grip and control for single-handed operation for the userwhile dispensing the contents of the package.

These and other aspects and embodiments are described in greater detailbelow, in conjunction with the accompanying figures. It should be noted,however, that the figures are for illustrative purposes only and are notintended to exclusively define or limit the scope of the presentinvention as set forth in the claims of this application.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A-1C are a front perspective, rear perspective and side views,respectively, of a sealed condiment package, illustrating the planarmember and the flexible sealed cover in place, according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 1D is a rear, perspective, exploded view of the condiment packageof FIGS. 1A-1C;

FIG. 1E is a front, perspective, exploded view of the condiment packageof FIGS. 1A-1C;

FIG. 1F is a detailed view of the distal portion of the planar member ofthe condiment package of FIGS. 1A-1C;

FIG. 2 is a front, perspective, exploded view of a condiment package,illustrating a distinct pattern of holes in the planar member andcorresponding cover, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a front view of a condiment package with a cover that extendsonto the distal portion of the planar member, according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a condiment package in which theflexible cover is being removed prior to use;

FIG. 4B is a perspective view of a condiment package, illustrating theprocess by which pressure applied to the condiment reservoir results inexpulsion of the contents;

FIG. 4C is a perspective view of a condiment package, showing thecondiment being expelled and spread onto a piece of bread; and

FIG. 4D is a perspective view of the condiment package, illustrating thedistal edge being used to cut a piece of bread.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1A-1C, a condiment package 110 is shown in its sealedconfiguration, according to one embodiment. In FIG. 1A, the frontalperspective view illustrates two visible components of package 110comprising planar member 112 and flexible membrane cover 114. The planarmember 112 is shown in a roughly egg- or fan-shaped profile, accordingto one embodiment. In other embodiments, this profile might be circular,rectangular, or a shape optimized for gripping, dispensing, andspreading the contents. Additionally, in order to perform thesefunctions the planar member 112 should provide a rigid or semi-rigidbackbone for the package 110. As such it should be of appropriatethickness and made from a durable, lightweight material such as plastic.Elevated features to assist in single-hand operation, such as grip 130,may in one embodiment be incorporated into the planar member 112. Theflexible cover 114 is shown sealed to region 120 of the visible planarsurface 112. Note that only a portion of the cover 114 is sealed to theplanar member 112, leaving a portion free to grip and remove to open thereservoir and dispense the package contents. The region 120 might, inone embodiment, be elevated above the planar member 112 to provide adefinitive sealing surface and help the user to grip the un-sealedportion of the flexible cover 114. The planar member 112 also comprisesa distal edge 118 and distal surface 126, both of which provide aspreading and manipulating feature for the contents of the package.

FIG. 1B shows the condiment package 10 from the opposing rearperspective view. Again, the package 110 is shown in the as-sealedconfiguration, with flexible membrane reservoir 116 forming a dome orpouch which will hold the contents of the package between its innersurface and the planar member 112. The flexible reservoir membrane 116is shown with a perimeter that is roughly circular in one embodiment. Inother embodiments, the perimeter may be oval, elliptical, rectangular oranother shape suitable for forming a reservoir to hold material. Thisperimeter is sealed to the surface of the planar member 112 in apermanent fashion. The reservoir membrane 116 must be flexible enough tobe deformed for the purpose of expelling the contents while at the sametime be rigidly fixed to planar member 112 such that it cannot beremoved after manufacture. Accordingly, this membrane can be made offlexible plastic, foil, mylar or a similar material. In the figure, thedistal edge 118 of the planar member 112 is shown with a row ofserrations 128. These serrations are shown on one side only, but inother embodiments could be present on both sides of planar member 112.The serrations 128 allow package 110 to be utilized as a cutting tool aswell as a dispensing and spreading tool.

FIG. 1C shows a side profile view of the package 110, illustrating thelinear and thin aspects of the planar member 112. The flexible membrane116 is shown sealed to one side of the planar member 112, forming aprotruding reservoir of ample volume to hold the contents. Flexiblecover 114 is shown partially sealed to the opposing side of planarmember 112, with a small portion unsealed to provide easier removalduring use. Distal edge 118 is shown to terminate in a sharp edge in oneembodiment, which may help facilitate the spreading and cuttingfunctionality of the package 110. In FIG. 1D, the package 110 is shownin the exploded pre-sealed state from the rear perspective view. Hereall three components can be clearly distinguished--the rigid planarmember 112, the flexible cover 114 used to form the removable seal, andthe flexible membrane 116 used to form the sealed condiment reservoir. Ahole 124 extends through the planar member 112. The circular perimeterof the dome-shaped reservoir membrane 116 will seal approximately asshown along the dashed lines of region 122. The shape of this regionwill depend on the specific shape of the perimeter of reservoir membrane116, but generally this perimeter and seal region 122 will fullysurround opening 124. When assembled, reservoir membrane 116 will thusform a reservoir that can be filled with condiment through opening 124,be fully sealed with flexible cover 114 for storage and transport, andbe used to dispense condiment through opening 124 when flexible cover114 is removed during use.

Referring now to FIG. 1E, the package 110 is shown in the explodedpre-sealed state from the frontal perspective view. In this view, theinternal concave surface of reservoir membrane 116 is clearly seen. Oncesealed to planar member 112, this surface will form the reservoir tohold the contents of the package. Additionally, the perimeter region 132of membrane 116 is shown. This region, which can vary in shape andcross-sectional thickness, will form one part of the permanent seal. Theposition of the opening 124 is shown with respect to the seal region 120of the flexible cover 114. When sealed, this membrane will cover opening124 and provide an aseptic barrier for the contents of the package.

A detailed view of the distal section of planar member 12 is shown inFIG. 1F. This view provides a closer look of the serrations 128 alongdistal edge 118. As mentioned previously, these serrations allow thepackage 110 to perform the additional functions of a cutting andspreading utensil.

FIG. 2 shows a package 210, according to an alternative embodiment. Inthe embodiment illustrated, the single opening 124 of the previouslydescribed embodiment is replaced with an array of holes 224. These holescan be of varying size or shape and can arranged in varying patterns, aslong as each feature extends all the way through the rigid planar member212 and is fully surrounded by the perimeter seal of the flexiblemembrane reservoir 216. Additionally, the flexible cover 214 is shownmodified to fully cover the array of holes 224. Ideally, the patternwould serve to optimally dispense and spread the contents using thedistal portion 226 of the planar member 212.

In FIG. 3, a frontal view of a package 310 is shown, according toanother alternative embodiment. In this embodiment, the flexible cover314 is shaped so as to extend the sealed region down to the distal edge318 of the rigid planar member 312. The flexible cover 314 would besealed distally, with an unsealed region above region 320 that providesa pull-tab for removal. This extended flexible cover 314, when removed,leaves a larger uncontaminated region for dispensing and spreading thecontents of the package. This is especially advantageous for asingle-use sealed condiment package application, since transport andstorage are often performed in uncontrolled, potentially contaminatedconditions.

Referring to now to FIGS. 4A-4D, which illustrate the package 410 inmultiple stages of use. FIG. 4A depicts the first stage of use, whereinthe user's hand H is shown removing the flexible cover 414 from thesealed region 420 of planar member 412. The unsealed portion of flexiblecover 414 is presented as a means to grip between the thumb and indexfinger. When pulled in the direction of the arrow, removal of flexiblecover 414 provides access to opening 424 and the condiment reservoir. InFIG. 4B, the package 410 is shown in use, with its contents beingdispensed. In this figure, the flexible cover 414 has been removed,leaving the opening 424 unsealed. With single handed operation from userH, a pressure—indicated by arrows—is applied to the flexible membrane416 with the index, middle, or any combination of fingers while thepackage 410 is gripped with the thumb in contoured region 430. Pressingdownward and toward the distal end 418, the entire contents 438 of thepackage can be expelled from the flexible membrane reservoir 416 throughopening 424. Referring now to FIG. 4C, the condiment package 410 isshown being utilized in a spreading capacity. Here the user H grips thepackage 410 and dispenses contents 438 distally as illustrated in FIG.4B while moving the package in the transverse along the spreadingsubstrate—in this case bread B. The distal spreading surface 426 anddistal edge 418 provide a means to evenly spread the contents 438 ontothe substrate. Finally, in FIG. 4D, the package 410 is shown in use as acutting device. With the grip demonstrated in FIGS. 4B-4C, the user Hcan use the distal edge 418 to cut or manipulate food item B. Theaddition of serrations 128 as in FIG. 1F can assist in this cuttingfunctionality.

What is claimed is:
 1. A package for use in dispensing a viscoussubstance, the package comprising; a thin-walled planar member having atleast one opening extending therethrough; a flexible reservoir membraneattached to a first side of the planar member to surround the openingand thus form a reservoir for holding the viscous substance between theflexible membrane and the planar member; and a removable cover attachedto a second side of the planar member, positioned over the at least oneopening. wherein the planar member includes a spreading surface on thesecond side that is exposed when the removable cover is removed.
 2. Apackage as in claim 1, wherein the planar member has an approximatelytriangular or fan-like shape having narrower proximal end and a widerdistal end.
 3. A package as in claim 2, wherein the spreading surface ofthe planar member is located toward distal end of the planar member. 4.A package as in claim 2, wherein the distal end of the planar membercomprises serrations or a beveled edge for cutting.
 5. A package as inclaim 1, wherein the at least one opening in the planar member ispositioned closer to one end of the planar member than to an oppositeend.
 6. A package as in claim 1, wherein the at least one openingcomprises multiple perforations positioned in a pattern along thespreading surface to facilitate dispensing and spreading of the viscoussubstance.
 7. A package as in claim 1, wherein the viscous substancecomprises a condiment, and wherein the package further includes thecondiment, loaded into the reservoir.
 8. A package as in claim 1,wherein the condiment is selected from the group consisting of ketchup,mustard, mayonnaise, peanut butter, jelly, jam, honey, wasabe andrelish.
 9. A package as in claim 1, wherein the flexible reservoirmembrane has a dome shape.
 10. A package as in claim 1, wherein thecover includes a tab to facilitate grasping and pulling off of thecover.
 11. A package as in claim 8, wherein the cover extends to an edgeof the planar member, and wherein the spreading surface thus extends tothe edge of the planar member.
 12. A package as in claim 1, wherein theplanar member comprises a contoured surface to enhance grip and controlfor single-handed dispensing and spreading.
 13. A package as in claim 1,wherein a portion of the second side of the planar member is elevatedfacilitate easier removal of the cover.
 14. A method of dispensing acondiment from a disposable condiment package, the method comprising:removing a cover from a first side of the package to expose an openingin the package and a spreading surface on the first side of the package;applying pressure to a condiment reservoir on a second side of thepackage to force the condiment through the opening; and using thespreading surface on the first side of the package to spread thecondiment onto a surface.
 15. A method as in claim 14, wherein thecondiment is selected from the group consisting of ketchup, mustard,mayonnaise, peanut butter, jelly, jam, honey, wasabe and relish.
 16. Amethod as in claim 14, wherein the surface comprises a piece of food,the method further comprising cutting the piece of food with a serratededge of the package, wherein the serrated edge is adjacent the spreadingsurface.